Lifeforms · Flora · Forest/ Jungle
Blossom of Rage
Brendan stared at the creature in the pale moonlight, transfixed by the silvery petals that glistened beneath that perfect purity. It was not until his final breath that he gathered his wits enough to scream after the thing had descended on him, all muscle and thorns and hard, barklike skin. It was too impossible, even the crimson blossoms that shone in the light of the moon.
Full Description
A thing of ancient days, of forgotten magics and superstition, the Blossom of Rage appears, in its wild form, as the simple white rosebush it was created from, though its thorns are strangely long and sharp, and the bones of small creatures can often be found in its lowest branches.
However, created by the now-forgotten Mirandar of the southern forests, the true form of the Blossom of Rage requires human aid to manifest itself. Having preferred the forest life and nature magics to the cities and plains and metal working, they had little power to resist when the northmen came with axes and swords, as their mages were few, and their warriors had no way to protect themselves from the iron blades and superior tactics of their foes. And so, their magi created the Blossom of Rage, as both weapon and armour.
When the rose hip of the plant is eaten by a human, the fine seeds of the Blossom pass through the stomach and then on into the blood stream, where upon they are lifted to near the skin of the host, and they take root. During the seeding phase, the spores may be removed from the body as any other disease, but afterwards, changes are irrevocable without killing the host. Deriving sustenance from its host, the Blossom grows forth from his skin, in an excruciatingly agonizing process. Over the process of long weeks, it begins to vine around the host's body, growing first a coarse, wide mesh of tough, ropy fibers, covered with sprouting thorns, which is later interwoven by thin tendrils of a composition similar to that of a spider's web. The resulting armor is surprisingly strong, while the thorns turn even the simplest hand to hand combat into a painful experience for the recieving party.
Additional Information
The Blossom of Rage feeds off both the host creature's blood, as well as off the blood of those slaughtered by it. The host human should be treated as if anemic. The longer he goes without killing to feed the Blossom, the worse the effects of the plant upon his body.
When eaten by a non-(demi)human, the rose hip is simply spread as per a normal rose. When eaten by a human, the symbiosis process will take 10-30 days, with peak pain being in the second third of the process. Adjust for others as per size and racial affinity to plants. The process is also excruciatingly painful. Many who eat of the Blossom die of the pain of symbiosis. Many more are driven mad, and then more from the enforced lack of human touch.
The thorns may be poisonous, depending on the Blossom eaten and the host's personality.
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Interesting, an armor of roses that might kill you. Would there be a way for such a petaled warrior to feed his living armor with the blood of sacrificed animals, or by bleeding a cow or something like that?
Not good armour to have.
Wow, you would have to be _really_ desperate to use this one.
Seriously though, if the forest people are that desperate, then the success rate of this armour would need to be high to be worth it - if it killed/incapacitated more warriours then could use it, then this seems worse then simply fighting and dying gloriously.
Perhaps there are other herb or secret potion which would reduce/eliminate the pain and madness involved and so only outsiders who tried to use it would encounter the full detrimental effects of the armour. Personally, I'd take my chances using a fire-harded spear against metal equipped enemies then go through this :)
Do trolls count as demi-human? Because that'd be scary. It regenerates it's lost blood just as fast as the rose drinks, it's covered in thorns and enjoys slaughtering little meaty things.
And as far as their warriors go, I doubt that every one of them would do it. You'd have some of your elite ue this, and if the enemies were scarce for a while, in addition to everyone in the village donating a cup of blood, you might sacrifice the old man, or the terminably ill guy. I really like it, of course that might just be 'cause of my sorking on a new, more primitive, setting.
...You just show me these things to see me run away screaming, don't you? I'm never, ever letting Fox see this...
I've heard of this sorta stuff before, but this was ratcheted up a notch, and beautifully described. Nice use of words!
Once again SnO delivers.
Very evocative. Inspires many, many ideas.
In many ways, this is the perfect counter for a druidic or less materially advanced culture to deal with an more violent and technically advanced one. It turns the warrior into an uber warrior of the green.
These people would be honored in their culture, as they have made a great sacrifice for the good of their people. They would be much like 'True Knights', respected and honored by their people. You could use a modified version to an Elven or Fey people too.
It has been alrady said. Interesting creature... item... thingy. :)
Perhaps, once the merging is complete, the plant has become almost an extension of the wearer, and can withdraw inside of him? Something like this merging with someone would make his insides move around anyway, why not so that it's retractable? That way, the nature warriors could possibly live a semi-normal life. Of course, the armor bonuses would have to be reduced, but you would think that someone would have thought to allow for relationships once heroes weren't needed.
Otherwise, a nifty sub.
Maybe it comes out in only battle or when he is angry? Or if one is nasty, when he orgasms.
*aherm* Intense emotional states, as a general rule?
Mikey likes it.
:)
"And every cowboy sings a sad sad song"
Two things really got me excited here, one was the post, I am not going to dissect it cause it hits the mark perfectly. Yes you could build on all this, write up the culture associate with the plant, and all that but I like that you hit the mark so well. The second thing that geeked me was that there is a Sybiotic Plant free text.
This was/is great thanks.
Symbiotic Plant Free Text
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